https://www.scmp.com/rss/522304/feed The Malaysian Bar is a professional association based in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, regulating lawyers in Peninsular Malaysia. Established under the Legal Profession Act 1976, its primary mission is to uphold the rule of law, the cause of justice, and protect the interests of both the legal profession and the public. Its activities include maintaining professional standards, advocating for judicial independence and legal reforms, and providing legal aid. The Bar is notable for its independent... en https://assets.i-scmp.com/static/img/icons/scmp-meta-1200x630.png https://www.scmp.com Hadi Azmi,Joseph Sipalan Hadi Azmi,Joseph Sipalan On a humid July afternoon in Putrajaya, Ambiga Sreenevasan donned her black lawyer’s robes, feeling the weight of history bearing down on her. Four decades after her first revolt against judicial interference, she was once again on the streets – this time, joined by hundreds protesting against Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim’s alleged meddling in the appointment of Malaysia’s top judges. What felt like history repeating itself was in fact the country’s legal practitioners taking a stand in defence... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3319632/anwars-reformasi-reversal-malaysias-judicial-bulwark-faces-familiar-siege?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3319632/anwars-reformasi-reversal-malaysias-judicial-bulwark-faces-familiar-siege?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 26 Jul 2025 00:00:15 +0000 Joseph Sipalan Joseph Sipalan Scrolling through TikTok one evening, I came across a short clip of American comedian Ron Funches asking an audience member why they believed the government had a perfect track record. “Our government is placed in charge of all of its people. I’m a father placed in charge of just one son. And I lie to that … all the time,” he said, using a term from African-American vernacular that he can say but I cannot. Funches’ delivery was biting, but his point resonated – particularly for those of us in... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/opinion/article/3318512/can-anwar-restore-trust-amid-malaysias-judicial-upheaval?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/opinion/article/3318512/can-anwar-restore-trust-amid-malaysias-judicial-upheaval?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 18 Jul 2025 02:30:08 +0000 Hadi Azmi Hadi Azmi Malaysia’s government on Tuesday invited the Bar Council to take part in a review of the country’s judicial appointment process, in a bid to quell public discontent over alleged executive interference that has thrown the judiciary into crisis. The move comes just a day after nearly 1,000 lawyers marched to the Prime Minister’s Office demanding urgent reforms and greater transparency in the selection of judges amid a shortage at the top of the courts and warnings of further institutional... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3318284/malaysia-seek-lawyers-views-anger-over-judge-selection-process-mounts?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3318284/malaysia-seek-lawyers-views-anger-over-judge-selection-process-mounts?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 15 Jul 2025 08:55:22 +0000 Hadi Azmi Hadi Azmi Malaysia’s judiciary faces a leadership vacuum as Chief Justice Tengku Maimun Tuan Mat prepares to step down on Wednesday without a successor named – a gap lawyers warn could undermine judicial independence and public trust. Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim’s administration has opted not to extend the tenure of Tengku Maimun or Abang Iskandar Abang Hashim, the president of the Court of Appeal, both of whom reach the mandatory retirement age of 66 this week. The constitution allows for a six-month... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3316485/malaysia-faces-judicial-void-chief-justice-tengku-maimun-set-retire-without-successor?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3316485/malaysia-faces-judicial-void-chief-justice-tengku-maimun-set-retire-without-successor?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 01 Jul 2025 07:00:13 +0000